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Letters .Patent No. 80,981,'dated August 11, 186.8.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TANNING LEATHER.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN:

Be it known that I, HIRAM LUCAS, of Rowsburg, in the county of Ashland, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for- Tanning Leather and I do hereby declare-that the following isl a full and complete description of the same, reference being had te the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure'v'l is a side viewA of the apparatus.

Figure 2, an end view.

Figure 3, a top view.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the different views.

` In fig. 1, A represents a tan-vat, of the ordinary structure and size. B is an oblong square frame, fitted to the inside of the vat, and, when therein,`one end is supported by the legs indicated bythe dotted lines C, iig. 2, whereas the opposite end is supported bythe cleats D. Said frame, when in the vat, is indicated by the dotted nues B c, ag. 1. i

The lframe just described is for the purpose of supporting the hides in the vat, and which are hung transversely in the frame ou rods, as indicated by thedetted lines'E, iig. 1. Said rods and hides are shown in fig. 3, in which a are the rods and E the hides.

Itwill .be observed by this devicethat the hides hang vertically in the vat, and close to Veach other, whereas, in-theordinary way of placing them in the vat, they are laid iiat or horizontal, superimposed one abovev the other, until the vat is full. In this way of arranging the hides, it is necessary, when required to move them, to take each, one at a time, from the vat,- and hang them uponpoles to drip and dry, or for the purpose of removing the oozie. q

' This matter of removing the hides is a'worktof great labor, and attended with great inconvenience and exposure to the wet, thereby adding largely to the expense of the tanned hides, but, by arranging or hanging them upon the frame in the manner above described, the whole number of hides can be taken from the yat atI once, by means of the windlass G, said windlass being placed upon the edge of the vat at oneV end, as shown inI g. 1. The rope or belt H-.Is then A'made fast to the end oi`- the frame. Now, on winding up the rope, theend of the frame will be elevated from thevat, as shown in iig. 1,' the opposite end being provided with side lugs or c gudgeons, b, fig. 3, which, as the frame is being raised, rest in the lower notches, c, cut in lthe edge of a cleat, secured to cach inner side of the vat, as indicated by the dotted-lines I,g. 1.and -on which the-frame turns as itis being lifted. The hides, when the frame is thus lifted inthe vat, rest upon the cross-rails, extending from 'one leg of the `frame to the other, as indicated by the dotted lines c, fig. 2.

v In this way thehides can be raised entirely from the ooze without being removed from the vat, or the frame may be drawn up so as to lodge thergudgeons in the upper notch c', in which position the frame'may be further elevated and the hides lifted out of the vat, as shown in iig. 1, in which position they will soon drip and dry, in consequence of their oblique inclination. It will be obvious that the hides in this position will dry without beinghung up for that purpose, hence there will be a large saving of time and labor.

By this means the hides can be handled with much less time for the purpose of removing the liquor, as all that is necessary is to lift one end of the frame, thereby'lifting the hides wholly or partially from the vat, so as to give access to the sume for the introduction of the pump, for exhausting the spent oo'ze and removing the tan, which, when replaced by new, the hides are again lowered into the vat as before, with but little labor and expenditure of time. I

i Hides, by being thushung in the vat, are morev directly in contact with thc'ooze, hence the process of saturation is more rapid than if `they'lay superimposed upon each other in the ordinary way, for in this condi- Vtion,Atheirqcloseness and pressure upon each other,` excludes free access oi the liquor in and about them.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Theadjustable rack-frame B and cleats or bearings I, upon which the frame is pivoted when in operation, in combinationwith the vat, the said frame being raised or lowered with its load of skins by means of the windlass, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HIRAM LUCAS.

Witnesses:

W. H. Bunnrnss,

A. vM. Hosr'n'rrnn. 

